KINGS PREY ON NASHVILLE 4-1

Nashville has a lot of nerve coming into our building boasting the title of predator. From this night forth, this is their new logo.

THE NASHVILLE GAZELLE

Our past struggles against this team are irrelevant. The page has turned. The curse is lifted. Kopitar, Brown, Smyth and Stoll made sure of that as our boys showed off the Kings’ offensive depth yet again.

The Kings’ defense waterboarded Nashville. At one point, Barry Trotz was so upset he came out of his neck.

Bernier stood tall most of the game, helped in part by the post (twice) and a defense that wouldn’t let the Gazelle anywhere near the crease.

Ryan Smyth placed an exclamation point on his 1000th game by giving the Kings a 3-0 lead. He could have easily had three. A beautiful Drew Doughty cross ice pass landed on Ryan’s stick at the top of the crease but Rinne made a hell of a diving glove save. Another pass in the second hopped over his stick in nearly the same spot. He stalked Pekka Rinne all night, created scoring chances and kept the cycle alive until Rinne was finally chased off the ice.

On defense, everyone, including Drewiske, played well. Mitchell occupied a four-foot radius of an impenetrable force field around him that moved wherever he did. Nothing could get by or around…that is until we lost Willie in the second frame with a hyper-ambiguous upper body injury. A little birdie told me he was holding his elbow / upper arm area. As long as it is below the neck and nothing serious, we can sleep easy.

The Kings are 10-3…let that percolate for a few days because our next game isn’t until Thursday. That should give us plenty of time to work up an appetite until we feast on Dallas from the drop of the puck to the announcement of our three stars.